THE STATE OF DRUM N BASS

what you say i kinda agree with but at the same time, new names coming into dnb come from very different backgrounds as compared to how things were "back in the day"…the fact that the internet is now as common as breathing and the advances in technology (especially hardware devices emulated in software) are huge contributes to a lot of the newer dnb (as opposed to jungle) coming out. a prime example is that of Sub Focus, Pendulum and Cyantific. I name these three as one group are out there in the pop spotlight, the other sounds very similar and i really like Ghetto Blaster at the moment.

Whilst the musical backgrounds may well be – and are – different, there’s no denying that Sub Focus and Pendulum seem to share similar sound qualities in their tracks (X-Ray as opposed to Slam for example) perhaps DOA.com is to blame as software is reviewed by said artists and others, and could possibly be used by both parties resulting in subtle (but audible) similarities…also being on the same record label is an indication of what kind of "sound" they’d have anyway

Cyantific’s sound is somewhat varied (coming from Hospital records) and the album itself has a vast array of evident influences..Miami Bass being one for Ghetto Blaster.

I’m thinking off the top of my head here so excuse me if this isn’t making much sense.

As for old skool producers grabbing samples and churning something out in a possible form of desperation (please don’t stone me), i think it’s the fact that they’re trying so hard to hold on to the past that they’re failing to see their own genre evolve/mutate before them.

Another thing i think you’re missing out on is that in the old days when dnb/jungle was in its early stages, there was a heavy jamaican influence (obviously) this was true to the extent of the selector (DJ) and MC…i’m not too sure if every selector back then was a producer too or vice versa but now it is a tricky balancing act between getting what you love out, to connect with the people out there. True some people ONLY think of the money but hey, c’est la vie.

all this kinda reminds me of when i was playing out 2 weeks ago and didn’t feel like playing on vinyl. I get this guy coming up to me saying "ahh, man. why are you selling out on the CDJ’s?? you should be spinning on the wheels of steel!"
my response
"you know, you’re a sell out if you stay stuck on one thing. Diversity is the way forwards if you don’t want to be left behind" – needless to say i was 100% sober at the time

Good topic. Things to me started looking bad when Redeye’s latest vinyl was mostly amen tracks, hard step voltage, and hip-hop crossovers. Don’t get me wrong, I dig all that, and would mix it in a set for sure, but do I need 10 copies of the same idea? You know what I mean? I like to challenge myself by taking old tracks and mixing them with new ones, and mix styles together. I don’t have one favorite over another. If I notice I’m lacking in one style I hunt for some more of it, so I have options in a set. I don’t look at the top ten lists anymore, cause it’s only ten. I like top 100 lists, really. So it’s not all focused on the newest, but what’s worked. I discourage allegiance to a label, crew, or style, cause it leads to ignorance. Cliques are what kills the scene. Then people aren’t there to dance, they’re members making an appearance. Checking out your vinyl like it matters, dropping names, pretty much being in the way. DNB is already in cartoons, commericals, soundtracks, pop remixes, but not all of it. The rest is at the party you’re dancing at and having fun. That’s the point of it anyway.

DNB is currently in a transitional phase. The Internet has spoilt us, what we need to do is go back to the record shops like we used to and start digging. There are plenty of talented Producers out there. Go to a record shop for a couple hours, listen to some of the new releases and come away with a stack of tunes.

i dont care if dnb gets goes mainstream or goes away. i make and listen to dng cause i love it and have loved it from the first time i heard it. sure it would be great to have dnb get huge with the public, at least there would be a chance for me to be able to make a living from doing it but even still i am going to work my ass off so that perhaps one label will find my work good enough to release and still work even harder so that maybe i can quit my job so that i can focus all my time to be as big as some of these other big guys out there. i have passion enough to sit everyday to and from work even while at work listening to the same 10 mixes over and over just so i can hear and understand as many intracacies of the music as i can fit in my brain.
….ok f’ing rant
anyways i wouldnt worry about dnb going away anytime soon. theres alot of folks out there that are like me and theres alot of other folks where i want to be at in the scene. from being in a dnb crew and knowing several other dnb crews, from throwing parties and meeting and chilling with some big names i can tell you that there is alot of passion for this music out there, whether it ever gets recognized as being so unique and different doesnt matter, there will always be someone with enough passion to keep it alive.

Kid 606 is back from his IDM trip and is turning out some awesome drum n bass.